The starting point of the present invention is a nebuliser sold under the brand name “Respimat” by Boehringer Ingelheim K G, in the form of an inhaler as described in basic terms in WO 91/14468 A1 and in a specific embodiment in WO 97/12687 A1 (FIGS. 6a, 6b) and in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the appended drawings. The nebuliser comprises, as a reservoir for a fluid that is to be nebulised, an insertable container holding the fluid and a pressure generator having a drive spring for conveying and nebulising the fluid.
To supplement the disclosure of the present patent application reference is hereby made, in a precautionary capacity, to the complete disclosure of both WO 91/14468 A1 and WO 97/12687 A1. Generally, the disclosure contained therein relates preferably to a nebuliser having a spring pressure of 5 to 60 mPa, preferably 10 to 50 mPa on the fluid, with volumes per actuation of 10 to 50 μl, preferably 10 to 20 μl, most preferably about 15 μl per actuation, and particle sizes of up to 20 μm, preferably 3 to 10 μm.
Moreover, the disclosure contained therein relates preferably to a nebuliser with a cylinder-like shape and with dimensions of about 9 cm to about 15 cm in length and about 2 cm to about 5 cm in width and with a nozzle spray cone of 20° to 160°, preferably 80° to 100°. These values are deemed to be particularly preferred for the nebuliser according to the teaching of the invention as well.
By rotating an actuating member in the form of a lower housing part of the nebuliser, the drive spring can be tensioned and fluid can be aspirated into a pressure chamber of the pressure generator. After manual actuation of a blocking element, the fluid in the pressure chamber is put under pressure by the drive spring and nebulised, i.e. discharged to form an aerosol. During the tensioning on the one hand and the subsequent nebulisation on the other hand the container performs an actuating movement.
The nebuliser comprises a mechanical monitoring device which detects the rotation of the actuating member in order to count the number of actuations of the nebuliser.
In the known nebulisers, containers may be used containing different fluids, i.e. in particular different medicaments or active substances. To protect such a nebuliser and a container for such a nebuliser more effectively from a mix-up with the container during use, WO 2005/080002 A1 proposed an improved nebuliser and an improved container.
The fundamental improvement was to provide a coding so that only a specific container or a number of specific containers could be used with, in particular could be inserted in, a nebuliser intended for them. For this purpose, the nebuliser comprises first coding means, while second coding means are associated with the container. The coding means cooperate with one another such that the container with the associated second coding means can only be inserted in or used with the nebuliser when the coding means match or form a matching coding.
As this publication forms the direct starting point of the present invention that constitutes the preamble of the above-mentioned claims, to supplement the disclosure of the present patent application reference is also made, in a precautionary capacity, to the complete disclosure of this specification.
The known nebulisers, as well as the nebuliser according to the present invention, operate purely mechanically, i.e. with no propellant gas and with no electrics.
Preferably, the coding also operates and works purely mechanically so that it can be provided in a simple and inexpensive manner and with a high degree of operational reliability.
According to the prior art, the complementary coding means that are operatively connected can only ever provide a specific coding.
In order to produce a different coding, it is necessary to use different coding means, both for the nebuliser and for the housing-like component.